Manchester United are still struggling with the same problem that they did under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Another inquiry was raised regarding the manner in which Manchester United conducted themselves during their weekend triumph over Luton Town at Old Trafford.

Manchester United has invested a great deal of time and resources in an effort to move on from the tenure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. On Saturday afternoon, it was difficult to tell as they ground out a gritty victory over Luton.

The central defense was anchored by Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, while Scott McTominay was needed in the midfield and the squad once more lacked a Premier League-proven scorer.

In an era when visitors have become so accustomed to triumphing at Old Trafford, Luton’s arrival with the explicit intention of absorbing pressure and maintaining composure felt like a relic.

Nevertheless, this was not a strategy that demonstrated deference towards Manchester United; rather, it was conspicuously formulated to maximize their own prospects of triumphing in the match. Luton did not attempt to press when United had the ball; rather, they played patiently, which was uncommon, to challenge the hosts into breaking them down.

Although Erik ten Hag’s squad appeared at ease whenever they played out from the back, there was little cohesion between the forward line when the ball reached midfield, which resulted in a barrage of long passes that proved to be Luton’s backbone.

Following the club’s loss to Copenhagen, Bruno Fernandes cited Solskjaer as saying, “Mounties are there to be climbed.” This was a reference to the Norwegian’s tenure as the club’s manager.

While it is accurate to say that the outcome could have been significantly different had the impressive Thomas Kaminski not nicked away at Rasmus Hojlund’s early improvised effort, the visitors still had an abundance of other opportunities to cause damage.

As the game progressed, United grew desperate, Luton’s optimism increased, and fan frustration escalated. They always had the impression that only a stroke of genius or a fortunate break would enable them to breach the meticulously practiced defensive line.

Although Victor Lindelof’s opening goal was well-executed, it did contain an element of fortuitous circumstances, as the ball fell to him after Scott McTominay’s initial botched attempt.

Results must take precedence over playing style following such a shaky season, but the fact that United struggled for so long at home to Luton cannot be overlooked.

This season, United have frequently produced their finest play when on the break, as evidenced by Rashford’s goal at Arsenal and Hojlund’s outstanding opener in midweek. Such a manner of play was never going to be feasible against Luton, who welcomed the pressure on their goal and retreated defensively.

In fact, one of their finest opportunities in the second half occurred when they won the ball high before Antony, a substitute, passed it to Marcus Rashford, who ought to have done more than shoot directly at Kaminski.

However, whenever United were required to break down a tenacious defensive line, they frequently ran out of strategies and resorted to shoddy type-of passes into the box that failed to produce much excitement.

United’s lackluster performances this season have undoubtedly been influenced by their regrettable injury record. The team has also encountered difficulties in establishing a distinct style of play, with the majority of their absences being on defense rather than attack.

Including the midfielders, the front three would have remained essentially the same against Luton, if not the entire front six. This is the case even with a completely fit squad.

It implies that they have a reduced number of justifications for the difficulties they encounter in their offensive endeavors and in breaching a defense that appeared to be complacent and provide them with limited opportunities to capitalize on the counterattack.

United should be optimistic about their ability to overcome the obstacle, but if they continue to rely on this limited strategy later in the season, they will be gambling with their hopes.

After two seasons and £400 million have passed since Solskjaer took over, United continue to grapple with the same issues.